_ _______ _ ...:... _ _______ _ ___ / .:::::::::::. \ ___ | / .. (:::::::::::::) .. \ | | . .:::::.`:::::::::::'.:::::. . | | .::.. `:::.::':::`::.:::' ..::. | _ _______ | .::' ::::':::::`:::: `::. | _______ _ \\ | | :: `' ::':`:: `' :: | | // \ | | `:. .::' . `::. .:' | | / . | | .::::::..::::' ... `::::..::::::. | | . | | `:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::' | | .... | | `:' `::::: :: :: :::::' `:' | | .... | ' | : `. ': :: :: :: :: :` .' : | ` | |.....: . .......: :: :: :: :: : ...... . : ....| . ...................: : :: :: :: :: : : ................. . _____________:_____________ _____________:_____________ _ ___\` __ /_\` _______/_\` __ _/_\` /___ _ // __ / (/ ___/ (/ _ (/ /_______/\ _ _ /_________ ___________ ______/\ _ ______________/\__/_ _ \\\\\_________\__/\_________\__/\_____/\_____/\____________/f3!/// - -\-\-----------\__/----------\__/-------\_____/---------------/-/- - - -------------------: : :. ..:: :: . :------------------ - : : :......: :: :` ': :: : .....: : : ___ _ | | : ` ' : | | _ ___ _\---------- : | -------- : B E R C : -------- | : ----------/_ /_\ . : . ..:.. ..:.. . : . /_\ /// . . : : . . \\\ /: :\ /:: Artist :: Blood Incantation ::\ :: Album :: Starspawn :: :: Year :: 2016 :: :: __ _ _ __ :: -:--\\-----------------------------------------------------------------//--:- :: \ / :: :: . Genre :: Death Metal Source :: CDDA . :: :: Label :: Dark Descent Records R.date :: 2017.01.31 :: _::__ Cat.nr. :: DDR157CD Size :: 64,21 MB __::_ ::// \\:: ::/---------------------------------------------------------------------\:: :: :: /: Encoder :: LAME 3.98.4 -V0 :\ ..: Bitrate :: avg. 258kbps : . . Quality :: 44,1kHz/Joint Stereo . . . Website :: https://www.facebook.com/Blood-incantation-508899805936788/ __ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __ .\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////. +/ -\------- | | ----\ tracklist /---- | | -------/- \+ /: . : : . :\ /:: ::\ :: 01. Vitrification of Blood (Part 1) 13:09 :: :: 02. Chaoplasm 05:34 :: :: 03. Hidden Species (Vitrification of Blood Part 2) 07:01 :: :: 04. Meticulous Soul Devourment 04:16 :: :: 05. Starspawn 04:20 :: :: ------- :: .. >> 34:20 .. __ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __ .\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////. +/ -\------- | | ----\ release notes /---- | | -------/- \+ /: . : : . :\ /:: ::\ :: :: :: The endless darkness, desolation, intriguing mystery and :: :: suffocating atmosphere of space pairs well with metal. :: :: Science fiction themes, dystopian futures and extra :: :: terrestrial shenanigans are all familiar sources of :: :: inspiration in the metal scene, however Colorado up and :: :: comers Blood Incantation do a particularly excellent job of :: :: nailing down the dense reality, claustrophobic atmosphere :: :: and otherworldly vibe of our mysterious universe on their :: :: hugely impressive full-length debut, Starspawn. These old :: :: school loving space cadets with a forward thinking attitude :: :: are another young band hellbent on stripping away the overly :: :: slick, artificial sheen so prevalent in modern death metal :: :: in favor of the grimy atmospherics, sonic girth and :: :: uncleansed ugliness of death metal's rich past. Blood :: :: Incantation are set to cash in on the considerable potential :: :: they displayed on 2015's Interdimensional Extinction EP, :: :: ramming home the advantage with this debut LP of serious :: :: fucking magnitude. :: :: :: :: Starspawn touches on the oozing-with-evil atmospheric streak :: :: of classic Morbid Angel and the tweaked harmonies and brain :: :: scrambling experimentation of Demilich and Gorguts, looking :: :: to the past for inspiration while casting their own :: :: innovative spell. Masterful songcraft, striking innovation :: :: and dynamically sound compositions propel Blood Incantation :: :: into unknown pockets of blackness as they navigate astutely :: :: through technically proficient and dense death pastures, :: :: funereal dirges, strange otherworldly zones and tripped-out :: :: passages of psychedelic exploration. Blood Incantation's :: :: impressive rhythm section is integral to the thunderous, :: :: low-end assault and intricate, groovy foundation, however :: :: it's the formidable guitar work of Paul Riedl and Morris :: :: Kolontyrsky that steals the show. Corkscrewing leads, :: :: screaming solos, thick, warmed-up death riffs and trippy :: :: detours are deftly handled, their dynamic teamwork suitably :: :: stocked with clever shifts in mood and tempo. The riffs are :: :: technical without being showy, whether fast and furious or :: :: slow and crushing, leaning towards the cavernous yet :: :: memorable, atmospheric and groovy end of the death spectrum. :: :: :: :: Mind altering psychedelic detours add to the album's :: :: mystique and are executed without an ounce of pretension or :: :: gimmick on epic 13 minute opener "Vitrification of Blood :: :: (Part 1)." Without doubt one of the most ambitious and :: :: surreal death metal jams you'll hear in 2016, the epic tune :: :: leaves nothing left in the tank. Driven by Isaac Faulk's :: :: rhythmically tricky and hammering percussion, it grips from :: :: the opening notes and doesn't relent through a captivating :: :: feast of death metal awesomeness. Running the gamut from :: :: death and doom, to psych excursions and pummeling groove, :: :: Blood Incantation effortlessly shifts gears throughout a :: :: cohesive and flowing structure, avoiding clunky transitions. :: :: "Hidden Species (Vitrification of Blood Part 2)" stands out :: :: with a bludgeoning mix of death metal brawn and brains, :: :: developing from a complex beginning of brutish groove into a :: :: moody death-doom mindfuck, complete with strange clean :: :: chants and other effect-driven oddities. Closer "Starspawn" :: :: ends the album with an intergalactic bang, its progressive :: :: swing and insidious melody offset by a primitive old school :: :: pummel and blasty punch. Starspawn also benefits from :: :: restraint, with the compact and refreshingly punchy 34- :: :: minute run time strongly supporting repeat listens. :: :: :: :: Recorded entirely in analog, Starspawn's throwback sound :: :: feels neither forced nor dated. To the contrary, the album's :: :: impressive dynamics, warm organic sound and punchy, balanced :: :: tones offer something vibrant and inviting, flipping the :: :: bird to the soulless, overly polished tripe that remains all :: :: too familiar in the modern death metal scene. The drums :: :: sound especially huge and powerful, especially the chest :: :: thumping double bass, the fretless bass nestles cozily in :: :: the mix, while the thick and meaty guitars retain enough :: :: detail, sharpness and clarity for closer dissection. Issues :: :: are few and far between, mostly boiling down to the :: :: sequencing of the album's five tracks. Opening with a 13- :: :: minute monster, regardless of how good the song is, this was :: :: a ballsy move but I'm not sure how logical it turned out to :: :: be. Meanwhile penultimate track "Meticulous Soul Devourment" :: :: would have worked better smack in the middle of the album, :: :: serving as an eerily effective and ominous instrumental :: :: transition. :: :: :: :: Blood Incantation eschew the flash and pitfalls of modern :: :: death metal, displaying a deep appreciation for the roots :: :: and raw essence of the genre's early '90s heyday. Despite :: :: their respectful old-school appreciation they don't sound :: :: like another typical retro clone, standing out from the pack :: :: with innovative songwriting, creating their own original :: :: deathly design. Superbly written and crafted, Starspawn is :: :: an exceptional album full of memorable moments, top notch :: :: songwriting and oppressive atmosphere, comfortably residing :: :: near the top of 2016's death metal heap. :: :: :: :: . _ _ . :: \: :. \\ ___________ . ___________ // .: :/ __\____ :: ____ ___\ _ / BERC : 2017 \ _ /___ ____ :: ____/__ \\\f3! :: \\\ __ _/_________i_________\ /___/ /// :: cRO/// \ :: :\-\___________\_ ___ / _ _/___________/-/: :: / :: | . . _ _ _/ __/ . \_ _ _ . . | :: : :::::::: | | \\\\\/ _______\____|\ \///// | | :::::::: : :: | | -\-\/____/-------------\____\/-/- | | :: :: | | \ :|: / | | :: : : | . ` ::: ' . | : : . . | : ::: : | . . | :::....:::....::: | : ::::::::::::::::: : . :::''``:::''``::: . : ::: : . ::: . .:. :